Final Destination Bloodlines is pulling in rave first reactions, with the upcoming horror sequel being called "heartbreaking", "clever", and full of "crazy, wicked" kills.
Marking the sixth installment in the franchise, the new flick follows Stefanie (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), a college student who's plagued by recurring nightmares of a tower block collapse in the 1960s. Before long, she discovers that her grandmother used to suffer from the same violent visions, and actually manage to save multiple people's lives when she warned them about the terrible accident before it happened. With that, Stefanie travels back to her hometown to find out more about her own premonitions – and find the person who can save her family from a seemingly grisly fate.
"[Final Destination Bloodlines] is a splatterrific blast! A fun, frightening nightmare factory of gleeful gore. Sharp Rube Goldberg death traps perfectly finesse tension, dark comedy & blood-drenched carnage. Easily a franchise fave," wrote Variety and The AV Club writer Courtney Howard.
"I think [Final Destination Bloodlines] is the best FD film since 2! It's a gloriously bloody symphony of horror; Zach Lipovsky & Adam B. Stein absolutely nail the tone, & the kills are crazy & wicked," said Slash Film's Bill Bria. "It's also a genuinely touching farewell to Tony Todd. Don't die before you see it!
Novastream's Nick L'Barrow added: "[Final Destination Bloodlines] is nasty, wicked, fun. The self-awareness and insanity of dealing with Death chasing you down that leads to great character dynamics and chemistry, but most importantly – gory kills. This is one for the horror sickos who don't mind a giggle or two."
"Holy S#%T [Final Destination Bloodlines] was a F'N blast! It's a gloriously bloody fun time filled with incredible deaths and stomach churning moments. It's an excellent entry to the franchise that you need to watch with friends. And a beautiful tribute to the late Tony Todd," gushed That Hashtag Show's Junior Fett.
Check out some more reactions below...
I am a VERY happy Final Destination fan right now. #FinalDestinationBloodlines just gets it.The movie is packed with clever and extremely well executed set pieces that very successfully scratch the itch the 2000 original started - the twisted thrill of seeing the outrageous… pic.twitter.com/VmyKRr1BrhApril 30, 2025
#finaldestinationbloodlines is an entertaining and energetic new entry in the series, a potpourri of incredibly creative death and gore seasoned with dark humor, plenty of Easter eggs and a lovely send-off for the great Tony Todd.April 30, 2025
#FinalDestinationBloodlines is exactly what I wanted from a return to the franchise! It’s true to its predecessors, while still bringing something new. It’s wildly entertaining, hilarious, and has one of my favorite kills in the franchise 👀 An absolute must see with a crowd 👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/D7lFU204frApril 30, 2025
Just got out of #finaldestinationbloodlines I'm far too tired to be coherent, but: come for the bodies getting crunched and splattered, stay for the wonderfully frank reminder that death comes for us all- and that time spent agonizing over it is time being robbed from youApril 30, 2025
25 years after the first, #finaldestinationbloodlines brings the franchise to a whole new level!Sadly, the movie does a great job at making you care for the whole family 😭 R.I.P?? (No spoilers 🤫)The movie is equal parts heartbreaking, horrifying, and hilarious! pic.twitter.com/xd45DLkB9cApril 30, 2025
Final Destination: Bloodlines proves that death is always a winner. Tony Todd’s scene is incredibly poignant and emotional. The kills are glorious and inventive and shows that this concept still works well for movies. #finaldestinationbloodlines #FinalDestination #Bloodlines pic.twitter.com/d7ZhyfLyEtApril 30, 2025
Others specifically praised the movie's opening scene and claimed there's one death scene that may wind up becoming everyone's favorite in the franchise. Like critic Edward Douglas wrote: "I'm not a fan of hyperbole, and maybe it was the 14 years since the last movie, but I think [Final Destination Bloodlines] is the best of the bunch! The opening disaster was insane, and there's one kill that might be the most torturous horror kill I've seen... maybe ever? Loved it!"
"For this film, the first premonition takes place in 1969," Lipovsky previously told SFX magazine. "There are lots of deaths during the premonition, which is what normally happens in the opening sequence of a Final Destination movie, but we then come out of the eye of a different person in the modern day. That's new. For a lot of fans, I think that's going to immediately throw them for a loop. It's going to make them lean forward to try and figure out what's going on."
Directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein, Final Destination Bloodlines also stars Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, Gabrielle Rose, and the late Tony Todd. It releases in UK cinemas on May 14, before reaching US theaters on May 16.
For more, have a read of our picks of the best horror movies of all time, or our guide to the most exciting upcoming horror movies heading our way.
